Category: Pastoral Letters

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

A couple of years ago, our parish enjoyed attending a wonderful movie entitled “The Man of God,” based on the life of St. Nektarios. The same producers have created what I think will be an even better film about the incredible story of St. Moses the Black.

St. Moses was a4th Century Ethiopian by birth and lived in Egypt. He was a violent criminal and the leader of a band of robbers before allowing Christ to reverse the course of his life, eventually becoming a penitent and great ascetic. Once the slave of a master, Moses escaped and joined a gang of petty thieves and robbers. Because of his great physical strength, arrogance, and actually his great intelligence, the gang chose him as their leader. After several divinely guided and incredible events, St. Moses was overcome with pangs of conscience and repentance for the misdeeds, which he had committed. He left the group, entered a monastery and gave himself completely in obedience to his spiritual father and to the monastic rule.

He benefited much from the teachings of Saints Makarios, Arsenios and Isidore. Later, he withdrew to solitude in a cell where he dedicated himself completely to physical labor, prayer, vigils and godly thoughts. Tormented by the demons, Moses confessed to Isidore, his spiritual father, and from him, received counsel to fast even more and never to eat to full satisfaction. When even this did not help he, at the counsel of the elder, began to keep vigil at night and to pray standing; after that, he began the practice of bringing water to the elderly monks from a distant well all night long. After six years of terrible struggles, St. Isidore finally miraculously healed him of sinful thoughts, fantasies and dreams.

St. Moses was ordained a priest in old age. He founded his own monastery and had seventy-five disciples and lived in this life for seventy-five years. He foresaw his death and, one day, he told his disciples to flee for the barbarians were going to attack the monastery. When the disciples also urged him to flee with them, St. Moses said that he must die by violence for, at one time, he himself committed violence and, according to the words: “For all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword” (St. Matthew 26:52). He remained there with six brethren and the barbarians came and slew them. One of the brethren, hidden in the vicinity, beheld and saw seven shining wreaths as they descended upon the seven martyrs. 

His conversion in the Egyptian desert is inspirational and piercing. Unlike the movie about St. Nektarios, which was placed in his contemporary and historic setting, “Moses the Black” is told through a contemporary lens in modern day Chicago. It seems riveting.  

I have purchased an entire theater for an evening’s showing so that we as a community can share in this incredible experience together. Though the tickets are $12.50, we will be selling them as a church group for $15.00 to benefit our youth ministries. Here are the details:

“MOSES the Black”

Written and directed by Yelena Popovic

Wednesday, February 4th

7:00 pm

Cinemark Theater at Jordan Landing in West Jordan, Utah

Please see Fr. Anthony for tickets.

$15.00 

There are only about 45 tickets available for our group. Tickets will go quickly. If you are not able to be with us on February 4th, I encourage you to still see the film. Popovic does great work. Glory be to God!

With Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas

Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We are nearing the conclusion of the “Dothekaeimeron” or Twelve Days of Christmas with the celebration of what is known in a few different ways: The Baptism of Christ, Epiphany (The Enlightening), and Theophany (The Revelation of God). Monday Morning, we will celebrate the Orthros and Royal Hours. Monday early evening we will celebrate the Vesperal Liturgy of the Eve of Theophany and the Lesser Blessing of the Waters. Tuesday morning, January 6th, we celebrate Orthros, the Divine Liturgy an the Great Blessing of the Waters. 

Theophany is the Feast which reveals the Most Holy Trinity to the world through the Baptism of the Lord (Mt.3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22). God the Father spoke from Heaven about the Son, the Son was baptized by Saint John the Forerunner, and the Holy Spirit descended upon the Son in the form of a dove. From ancient times this Feast was called the Day of Illumination and the Feast of Lights, since God is Light and has appeared to illumine “those who sat in darkness,” and “in the region of the shadow of death” (Mt.4:16), and to save the fallen race of mankind by grace.

In the ancient Church it was the custom to baptize catechumens at the Vespers of Theophany, so that Baptism also is revealed as the spiritual illumination of mankind.

The origin of the Feast of Theophany goes back to Apostolic times, and it is mentioned in The Apostolic Constitutions (Book V:13). From the second century we have the testimony of Saint Clement of Alexandria concerning the celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, and the night vigil before this Feast.

There is a third century dialogue about the services for Theophany between the holy martyr Hippolytus and Saint Gregory the Wonderworker. In the following centuries, from the fourth to ninth century, all the great Fathers of the Church: Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, Ambrose of Milan, John of Damascus, commented on the Feast of Theophany.

The monks Joseph the Studite, Theophanes and Byzantios composed much liturgical music for this Feast, which is sung at Orthodox services even today. Saint John of Damascus said that the Lord was baptized, not because He Himself had need for cleansing, but “to bury human sin by water,” to fulfill the Law, to reveal the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and finally, to sanctify “the nature of water” and to offer us the form and example of Baptism.

On the Feast of the Baptism of Christ, the Holy Church proclaims our faith in the most sublime mystery, incomprehensible to human intellect, of one God in three Persons. It teaches us to confess and glorify the Holy Trinity, one in Essence and Undivided. It exposes and overthrows the errors of ancient teachings which attempted to explain the Creator of the world by reason, and in human terms.

The Church shows the necessity of Baptism for believers in Christ, and it inspires us with a sense of deep gratitude for the illumination and purification of our sinful nature. The Church teaches that our salvation and cleansing from sin is possible only by the power of the grace of the Holy Spirit, therefore it is necessary to preserve worthily these gifts of the grace of holy Baptism, keeping clean this priceless garb, for “As many as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ” (Gal 3:27).

Please join us for this most significant commemoration of the Church: the humility of the Savior as demonstrated by His bowing down before the Baptist to receive Baptism in the Jordan. The revelation of the Triune God Whose entire presence was experienced at this sacred moment in time. The sanctification of creation, form, and the natural world as Christ enters the stream of living waters. The opening of our collective eye of God’s overwhelming love for His creation. The fulfilling of prophecy. The inauguration of Jesus’ earthly ministry. The blueprint for our path towards eternal life: to be born of water and the Spirit. I pray you a blessed Feast of Theophany. And abundant joy in the New Year. I remain,

With Much Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Tomorrow, November 30th is the Feast of St. Andrew the First Called Apostle. As his missionary journeys led him to a fishing town known as Byzantium, he laid the foundation for the epicenter of Eastern Christendom. He was the first bishop of that which would become Constantinople, the capital of the Roman Empire under Emperor Constantine, once he relocated the imperial city, and named it after himself. Therefore, St. Andrew is the patron saint of Constantinople and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Itself.

Here in America, there is a distinguished group of Greek Orthodox Christians known as Archons; those who’s ministry it is to support, witness, educate about, and help sustain the Ecumenical Patriarchate in modern day Istanbul. Our Church does not enjoy the protections, the wealth, the comforts of the Vatican. Every day, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Bartholomew lives very precariously in nothing less than hostile surroundings. The support received through the Archons, both financially and in terms of awareness is invaluable to the existence of the Mother Church in a less than friendly, anti-Christian country. 

Last Sunday was designated by our Archdiocese as “Archon Sunday,” an opportunity to bring awareness…to those who bring awareness.

As a parish, because of my accident side-lining me for a few weeks, we have fallen behind on a few of these special Sundays (look for a makeup “Church Musicians Sunday” and “Camp for the Future Sunday”). Since we celebrate St. Andrew tomorrow, it is most appropriate that we observe the work of the Archons on this day. 

I wish to offer my sincere appreciation and respect to our parish’s lone Archon, Dr. Charles Beck, MD. Thank you, Charles, for your distinguished support of the Mother Church and Her mission in the world.

Since I cannot possibly articulate the value of this group and bring a proper perspective on the impact of Archon Sunday, please enjoy the following Encyclical from His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America that was to be read in church last Sunday. 

Archiepiscopal Encyclical for Archon Sunday

Unto the Most Reverend and Right Reverend Hierarchs, Pious Priests and Deacons, Presvyteres and Diakonisses, the Monks and Nuns, Presidents and Members of Parish Councils, Honorable Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Members of Leadership 100, the Day and Afternoon Schools, Philoptochos Societies, the Youth, Greek Orthodox Organizations, and the entirety of the Christ-named Plenitude of the Sacred Archdiocese of America:

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, one of the two who had heard what John said, followed Jesus. First, he went and found his brother, the aforementioned Simon. (John 1:41-42) Beloved Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, Last year, the Holy Eparchial Synod of the Sacred Archdiocese of America inaugurated “Archon Sunday,” in order to recognize the esteemed Order of Saint Andrew the First Called Disciple, Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and to honor the Feast of their Heavenly Patron.

In the days preceding the Feast of Saint Andrew on Sunday, November 30th, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV will visit Nicaea (modern İznik), the site of the First Ecumenical Council, together with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Their Beatitudes of the Elder Patriarchates – the full complement of the ancient Pentarchy – in order to commemorate the 1700th Anniversary of the Three Hundred and Eighteen Fathers gathered in Nicaea and the Creed, and their declaration of the Faith of the Apostles, which we recite at every Divine Service.

Following the Nicaean event, the Pope will be present for the Feastday Liturgy of Saint Andrew in the Patriarchal Cathedral of Holy Great-Martyr George the Trophy Bearer, bearing witness to the enduring ecumenical progress that has been made over the last fifty years. There will be a special pilgrimage with many Archons for these most significant events, which signal real progress in the goal of a unified Christendom.

Throughout, we shall manifest the love of Andrew for his brother Simon, who went first out of love to share with his brother (renamed Peter by the Lord), the good news of finding the Messiah. Therefore, all parishes are urged to take time on this Sunday, November 23rd, to acknowledge the Archons of the Great Church of Christ, and to take full advantage of the many initiatives of the Order of Saint Andrew, which can be found on their website, https://archons.org. As children of the Mother Church of Constantinople, we all – Archon or no – have a responsibility to Her and Her spiritual mission, to share the Gospel of the Messiah, Who was found first by Saint Andrew, with all our brothers and sisters throughout the world.

With Blessings in our Lord Jesus Christ,

†ELPIDOPHOROS Archbishop of America

To all who celebrate their Name Day tomorrow, the Andrews and Andreas, Chronia Polla! Many Years!

With Much Love in Christ

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This coming Tuesday, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Pope Leo XIV will be together for a most historic commemoration as they gather in Nicaea to commemorate the 1700th Anniversary of the 1st Ecumenical Council and the drafting of the Nicene Creed. For Orthodox Christians, the Nicaean Creed is not an historical document for scholars to contemplate or a point in history to simply be appreciated. It represents the first articulation of our Faith. It defines our beliefs. It celebrates the relationship between the Three Persons of our Triune God, and the Lord’s relationship with each of us. We as a people. We as a family of believers. We as individuals, baptized, illumined and made whole. We recite it as we sacramentally enter the Church. And in unison, we proclaim it at every Divine Liturgy. By it and through it, we are affirmed, justified and inspired. 

But I also found an interesting article in Christianity Today Concerning this milestone in history. It was refreshing to see what Western Christianity in general has to say about the event and the Creed, Itself. Please enjoy this read. And remember to give thanks to our loving Savior that after 1700 years, you still maintain and are grounded in the doctrinal truths as expressed in the Creed. You belong to the very Church which composed it. And you remain true to their traditions. I have personally stood in the ruins of the church in Nicaea where the Creed was drafted and first proclaimed. Praying in that space and reciting the Creed with my fellow pilgrims, I felt a sense of awe, appreciation, connection, and responsibility. 

I hope you enjoy this article:

“This year marks the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and the formulation of the Nicene Creed. If you’re not deeply familiar with Christian history or theology, that might sound like an obscure detail. You might even be wondering: what does a fourth-century church meeting have to do with me today?

Actually, quite a lot.

Let’s take a quick journey down history lane.

The Council that changed everything

The First Council of Nicaea took place in 325 AD, called together by Roman Emperor Constantine the Great in the city of Nicaea (modern-day İznik, Turkey). His aim? To bring unity to a fragmented empire.

While Constantine sought political stability, the bishops who gathered were focused on something deeper: the unity and clarity of Christian belief. At the heart of their discussions was a growing controversy known as Arianism – a teaching that denied the full divinity of Jesus Christ.

The result? The Council of Nicaea produced the Nicene Creed, set a lasting precedent for ecumenical councils (global gatherings of Christian leaders to define core beliefs), and even established a unified date for celebrating Easter.

Now that we’ve got the basics of what the Council of Nicaea was all about, you might still be asking: why does the Nicene Creed matter so much today?

The birth of the Nicene Creed

Well, as previously mentioned, one of the most enduring outcomes of this council was the creation of the Nicene Creed.

In today’s churches, you’ll hear a wide range of messages – some deeply rooted in Scripture, others perhaps less so. But the Nicene Creed brings us back to the centre. It grounds our congregations in the truth of Christ Himself, cutting through the noise and reminding us of what matters most.

The creed didn’t just resolve one theological debate; it set the foundation for what most Christians – Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant – believe about God today.

It condemned Arianism, asserting the belief in one God – the Father Almighty, Jesus Christ as true God, begotten, not made, and of one substance with the Father (and that He was incarnated, crucified, resurrected and ascended) and the Holy Spirit as Lord and giver of life.

It also declared the belief in a united church, set apart for God’s purposes, open to all and present worldwide and built on the foundations of the apostles’ teachings.

It acknowledged one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and pointed to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.

The Creed is still said every week in Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and many Protestant churches around the world.

Why this still matters

Let’s be real, Christian churches today can feel divided. Different doctrines, different styles of worship, even disagreements over what’s essential to the faith. Sometimes, that lack of unity is exhausting and confusing – not just for believers, but for seekers and sceptics watching from the outside.

That’s exactly why this anniversary is so powerful! It centers us. It reminds us of our shared foundation. It points us back to Christ and affirms our belief in the God who came down, died, rose, and is still alive and active today.

Even if you’ve never studied the Council of Nicaea, if you’ve ever said the words of the Nicene Creed, then you’ve participated in a tradition that stretches back 1,700 years. It has shaped how you think about God’s love, salvation, and your purpose in the world even if you didn’t realize it. This anniversary is more than just a historical footnote. It’s an opportunity to reconnect with what we believe and why it matters.”

So, if Evangelical Christians can articulate such a lovely appreciation for the Nicaean Creed, let it’s teaching penetrate our hearts even more deeply. Happy Anniversary to the First Ecumenical Council. You still look great after 1700 years!

With Much Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

The entire world has found you to be a great champion in times of peril; for you put the heathen to flight, O victorious one. As you brought to naught the boasts of Lyaeus, and gave courage to Nestor in the stadium, in the same way, O Holy Great Martyr Demetrios, entreat Christ God, that He grant us great mercy.

Apolytikion of St. Demetrios the Great Martyr

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Tomorrow, October 26th, with abundant joy, the Church celebrates The Great Martyr Demetrios the Myrrh-Flowing of Thessaloniki. He was the son of a Roman proconsul in Thessaloniki. Three centuries had elapsed and Roman paganism, spiritually shattered and defeated by the multitude of martyrs and confessors of the Savior, intensified its persecutions. The parents of Saint Demetrios were secret Christians, and he was baptized and raised in the Christian Faith in a secret church in his father’s home. Imagine, the Great Apostle Paul had established the Church in Thessaloniki, and though it continued to grow from his first apostolic visit, polytheistic roots and the violent, pagan nature continued wage war against the gentleness of Christ. 

By the time Demetrios had reached maturity and his father had died, Emperor Galerius Maximian had ascended the throne (305). Maximian, confident in Demetrios’s education as well as his administrative and military abilities, appointed him to his father’s position as proconsul of the Thessaloniki district. The young commander’s principal duties were to defend the city from barbarians and to eradicate Christianity. The Emperor’s policy regarding Christians was expressed simply: “Put to death anyone who calls on the name of Christ.” The Emperor did not suspect that by appointing Demetrios he had provided him with the opportunity to bring many people to Christ.

Accepting the appointment, Demetrios returned to Thessaloniki and confessed and glorified our Lord Jesus Christ. Instead of persecuting and executing Christians, he began to teach the Christian Faith openly to the inhabitants of the city and to overthrow pagan customs and the worship of idols. The compiler of his Life, Saint Simeon Metaphrastes (November 9), says that because of his teaching zeal he became “a second Apostle Paul” for Thessaloniki, particularly since “the Apostle to the Gentiles” founded the first community of believers in the city (1 Thess. and 2 Thess.).

The Lord also destined Saint Demetrios to follow Saint Paul on the path to martyrdom. When Maximian learned that the newly-appointed proconsul was a Christian, and that he had converted many Roman subjects to Christianity, the Emperor’s rage knew no bounds. Returning from a campaign in the area of the Black Sea, the Emperor decided to lead his army through Thessaloniki, determined to massacre the Christians.

Learning of this, Saint Demetrios ordered his faithful servant Lupus to give his wealth to the poor saying, “Distribute my earthly riches among them, for we shall seek heavenly riches for ourselves.” He began to pray and fast, preparing himself for martyrdom.

When the Emperor came into the city, he summoned Demetrios, who boldly confessed himself a Christian and denounced the falsehood and futility of Roman polytheism. Maximian ordered Demetrios to be thrown into prison. An Angel appeared to him, comforting and encouraging him.

Meanwhile the Emperor amused himself by staging games in the circus. His champion was a German by the name of Lyaeos. He challenged Christians to wrestle with him on a platform built over the upturned spears of the victorious soldiers. A brave Christian named Nestor went to the prison to Saint Demetrios, his instructor in the Faith, asking for his blessing to fight the barbarian. With the blessing and prayers of Saint Demetrios, Nestor defeated the fierce German and hurled him from the platform onto the spears of the soldiers, just as the murderous pagan would have done with the Christian.

The enraged commander ordered the execution of the holy Martyr Nestor (October 27) and sent a guard to the prison to kill Saint Demetrios. At dawn on October 26, 306 soldiers appeared in the Saint’s underground prison and ran him through with lances. His faithful servant, Saint Lupus, gathered up the blood-soaked garment of Saint Demetrios he took the imperial ring from his finger, a symbol of his high status, and dipped it in the blood. With the ring and other holy things sanctified the blood of Saint Demetrios, Saint Lupus began to heal the infirm. The Emperor ordered his soldiers to arrest and kill him.

The body of the holy Great Martyr Demetrios was cast out for wild animals to devour, but the Christians took it and secretly buried it in the earth.

During the reign of Saint Constantine (306-337), a church was built over the grave of Saint Demetrios. A hundred years later, during the construction of a majestic new church on the old spot, the incorrupt relics of the holy martyr were uncovered. Since the seventh century a miraculous flow of fragrant myrrh has been found beneath the crypt of the Great Martyr Demetrios, so he is called “the Myrrh-Flowing.”

St. Demetrios is not only among the most popular and much-loved saints within Mediterranean culture, but in the Slavonic world, as well. He was an inspiration and protector of the youth in his contemporary time. To this day, he is regarded as a patron saint to children and the vulnerable. May his prayers continue to guide, strengthen, and instruct in the ways of Christ and His Gospel. 

Holy Saint Demetrios, Intercede for Us!

With Much Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas

Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Today, Saturday, October 18th we celebrate the life and ministry St. Luke the Apostle and Evangelist. He was a native of Syrian Antioch, a companion of the holy Apostle Paul (Phil.1:24, 2 Tim. 4:10-11), and a physician enlightened in the Greek medical arts. Hearing about Christ, Luke arrived in Palestine and fervently accepted the preaching of salvation from the Lord Himself. As one of the Seventy Apostles, Saint Luke was sent by the Lord with the others to preach the Kingdom of Heaven during the Savior’s earthly life (Luke 10:1-3). After the Resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to Saints Luke and Cleopas on the road to Emmaus.

Luke accompanied Saint Paul on his second missionary journey, and from that time they were inseparable. When Paul’s coworkers had forsaken him, only Luke remained to assist him in his ministry (2 Tim. 4:10-11). After the martyric death of the First-Ranked Apostles Peter and Paul, Saint Luke left Rome to preach in Achaia, Libya, Egypt and the Thebaid. He ended his life by suffering martyrdom in the city of Thebes.

Tradition credits Saint Luke with painting the first icons of the Mother of God. “Let the grace of Him Who was born of Me and My mercy be with these Icons,” said the All-Pure Virgin after seeing the icons. Saint Luke also painted icons of the First-Ranked Apostles Peter and Paul. Saint Luke’s Gospel was written in the years 62-63 at Rome, under the guidance of the Apostle Paul. In the preliminary verses (1:1-3), Saint Luke precisely sets forth the purpose of his work. He proposes to record, in chronological order, everything known by Christians about Jesus Christ and His teachings. By doing this, he provided a firmer historical basis for Christian teaching (1:4). He carefully investigated the facts, and made generous use of the oral tradition of the Church and of what the All-Pure Virgin Mary Herself had told him (2:19, 51).

In Saint Luke’s Gospel, the message of the salvation made possible by the Lord Jesus Christ, and the preaching of the Gospel, are of primary importance.

Saint Luke also wrote the Acts of the Holy Apostles at Rome around 62-63 A.D. The Book of Acts, which is a continuation of the four Gospels, speaks about the works and the fruits of the holy Apostles after the Ascension of the Savior. At the center of the narrative is the Council of the holy Apostles at Jerusalem in the year 51, a Church event of great significance, which resulted in the separation of Christianity from Judaism and its independent dissemination into the world (Acts 15:6-29). The theological focus of the Book of Acts is the coming of the Holy Spirit, Who will guide the Church “into all truth” (John 16:13) until the Second Coming of Christ.

The holy relics of Saint Luke were taken from Constantinople and brought to Padua, Italy at some point in history. Perhaps this was during the infamous Crusade of 1204. In 1992, Metropolitan Hieronymus (Jerome) of Thebes requested the Roman Catholic bishop in Thebes to obtain a portion of Saint Luke’s relics for the saint’s empty sepulchre in the Orthodox cathedral in Thebes.

The Roman Catholic bishop Antonio Mattiazzo of Padua, noting that Orthodox pilgrims came to Padua to venerate the relics while many Catholics did not even know that the relics were there, appointed a committee to investigate the relics in Padua, and the skull of Saint Luke in the Catholic Cathedral of Saint Vico in Prague.

The skeleton was determined to be that of an elderly man of strong build. In 2001, a tooth found in the coffin was judged to be consistent with the DNA of Syrians living near the area of Antioch dating from 72-416 A.D. The skull in Prague perfectly fit the neck bone of the skelton. The tooth found in the coffin in Padua was also found to fit the jawbone of the skull.

Bishop Mattiazzo sent a rib from the relics to Metropolitan Hieronymus to be venerated in Saint Luke’s original tomb in the Orthodox cathedral at Thebes.

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

The Son who shone forth from the Father, was born of woman in two natures. Having beheld Him, we do not deny the image of His form. Devoutly depicting it we honor it in faith. Therefore the Church, maintaining the true faith, venerates the icon of Christ’s incarnation.

Kontakion Hymn of the Fathers of the 7th Ecumenical Council

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Tomorrow the Church remembers the 350 holy Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council under the holy Patriarch Tarasius (February 25).

The Synod of 787, the second to meet at Nicea, refuted the Iconoclast heresy during the reign of Empress Irene and her son Constantine VI.

The Council decreed that the veneration of icons was not idolatry (Exodus 20:4-5), because the honor shown to them is not directed to the wood or paint, but passes to the prototype (the person depicted).

It also upheld the possibility of depicting Christ, Who became man and took flesh at His Incarnation. The Father, on the other hand, cannot be represented in His eternal nature, because “no man has seen God at any time” (John 1:18).

In our Greek Orthodox practice, the holy God-bearing Fathers of the Seventh Ecumenical Council are commemorated on October 11 (if it is a Sunday), or on the Sunday which follows October 11. And that, my beloved in the Lord, is why we celebrate these great luminaries of the Faith, their doctrinal galvanization, and the unity of the Church tomorrow on October 12th. Through their intercessions may we also find clarity, vision, steadfastness and joy in witnessing our Orthodox Christian Faith. I remain, 

With Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Tomorrow on October 5th we celebrate Saint Charitina of Amisos in Pontus who lived during the reign of Emperor Diocletian (284-305). Orphaned at a young age, she became the servant of a noble Roman Christian named Claudianus, or Claudius, who brought her up as his own daughter. The young girl was very pretty, sensible, and kind. She imparted her love for Christ to others and brought many to the path of salvation. Saint Charitina was meek, humble, obedient and silent. Although she was not yet baptized, she was a Christian at heart. She studied the Law of God both day and night. And vowed to preserve her virginity as a true bride of Christ.

Because Saint Charitina brought many others to the Christian Faith, Dometius, one of Emperor Diocletian’s governors, came to hear of her and sent a letter to Claudius, ordering him to send Charitina to him so that he might question her. Claudius had no doubts about the result of this interrogation. Grieved at the prospect of losing her, he put on sackcloth and wept bitter tears. Charitina comforted him, saying: “Do not grieve, my Master, but rejoice, for I am to become an acceptable sacrifice to God, for my sins and for yours.”

Claudius replied: “O Servant of God, remember me when you stand before the heavenly King in the ranks of the Holy Martyrs.” 

The Saint was brought before a judge at the tribunal. He asked her: “Is it true that you are a Christian, and that you delude others by bringing them to your impious faith?”

Charitina replied: “It is true that I am a Christian, but it is a lie that I delude others. On the contrary, I lead them from deception to the path of truth, bringing them to my Christ.”

After this, and repeatedly, many vile methods of torture were thrust upon her, and by God’s providence and protection, she was either spared or immediately restored to health. Finaly, as her executioners sent several men to violently defile her, she prayed earnestly to God that she be received by Him before her virginal body would be subjected to their intended vile acts, and so, as she prayed, she surrendered her pure soul to God.

When the judge saw that she was dead, he had her body placed in a sack weighted with stones and tossed it into the sea. By Divine Providence, her body was brought to the shore three days later. Her master Claudius found her body and buried her with appropriate honor and reverence. Fragments of Saint Charitina’s Holy Relics are found in the Monasteries of Kykkos, Cyprus, and Jerusalem of Boeotia.

Through the Intercessions of the Virgin Martyr Charitina, may we receive her strength, resolve, inspiration, and especially her love for Christ. I remain,

With Much Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Dr. Jane Goodall at the Templeton Prize Ceremony

The earth groans, but it also hopes. The question is whether we will participate in the song of its pain or in the hymn of its gratitude.

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople and New Rome

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

If the Pope arrived in the United States, we would have seen every detail of his visit in all versions of print, television, digital and social media. That would be big news. Did most of us even know that our own Orthodox world leader, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was in the US for more than two weeks? What a joy to receive him, who prays for us and safeguards the Faith. Having met His All-Holiness six times in my life, from large-scale gatherings to private audiences, I can personally attest to the humility, brilliance, sanctity and sincerity of our shepherd of shepherds. 

His visit to the United States this time was not so much for pastoral reasons, but rather to validate and celebrate his life-long efforts on behalf of the ecological, environmental, and anthropological connections to Orthodox Theology. His decades-long message that our love for God should be evident in our love for the environment was cemented in history with his nomination and reception of the most prestigious award possible at the intersection of Theology and Science – The Templeton Prize.

Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople received the 2025 Templeton Prize at a ceremony in New York on Wednesday, September 24, becoming the first leader of an Orthodox Church to receive the award. The prize, worth approximately $1.4 million, recognizes individuals who bridge religion and science while advancing spiritual understanding.

The ceremony was attended by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, who first dubbed Bartholomew the “Green Patriarch” in 1997. In his acceptance speech, the Patriarch emphasized the interconnection between environmental and spiritual responsibility.

“The God who breathed stars and humans into being is the same God who grieves when a single sparrow falls, when a coral reef bleaches white as bone, and when a child gasps for clean air,” Patriarch Bartholomew stated, noting that the award belongs not to him personally but to the ecumenical vision served by the Patriarchate for decades.

The Patriarch traced the Orthodox Church’s environmental commitment to 1989, when his predecessor Patriarch Demetrios established September 1 as a day of prayer for the protection of creation. He called for reuniting science and faith, comparing a physicist studying glacier acceleration to a theologian reading about “the groans of creation” in the Apostle Paul’s writings as “two people reading the same book in different languages.”

In his address, His All-Holiness criticized religious communities that embraced “conspiracy theories” during the COVID-19 pandemic and condemned those who limit themselves to “words of faith” without action. He emphasized the connection between consumerist greed and environmental destruction, proposing ascetic practices as a “joyful discipline” that heals excess and restores harmony. He also expressed concern for young people’s “existential anxiety about the environment,” calling this a “moral failure” of older generations, and stressed that environmental protection requires social justice, stating “we cannot heal the planet without healing our relationships with each other.”

The Patriarch concluded his speech by stating: “The earth groans, but it also hopes. The question is whether we will participate in the song of its pain or in the hymn of its gratitude.”

The Templeton Prize has been awarded annually since 1972 to individuals including Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Francis Collins. The $1.4 million award supports the recipient’s ongoing work and initiatives.

During his visit, he also met with President Trump and President Zelensky of Ukraine. 

As Greek Orthodox Christians, we can take great joy in the fact that the Ecumenical Patriarch is not only a man of principle, vision, and dignity, but sees creation, in all its glory, in all its diversity, and in all its grandeur through the prism of its delicate balance. God Grant Him Many Years!

With Love in Christ,

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter

On the Sunday Following the Feast of the Elevation of the Cross:

Nicolaos Kabasilas in order to give us to understand God’s love, he uses the example of those who are in love.  As the couple always seek the one for the other, and when they are together they are feeling wonderfully;  in a similar manner God loved so much the world, that He became man to seek of what it was lost.  God does not only call all men to repentance, but He Himself came into the world, took up flesh becoming a perfect man, but without sin, and suffered on the cross death.  Through His death He granted life to all those who believe in His name.

Two are the basic characteristics of true love.  The first is that the one who loves offers everything to the other who is being loved; and secondly, the first suffers everything for the second.  When someone suffers for the one who he loves, then this expression of love is greater then offering.   Because of the guilt of sin, man was unable to reconcile himself to God, God had to become man and suffered for man’s sake.  Dying on the Cross God the Logos became the one and only mediator  between God and man. 

In God’s love for man one must seek the reason for His incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection on the third day.  All these historical events took place, “when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:4-5). 

No one else had so much love as Christ did for mankind, for He did not only suffered pain, but consider His sufferings valuable.  He offers Himself to all the members of His divine Body, sanctifies them and grants eternal life to all who believe in His name.  Through Christ’s love man is cleansed from sin, because when one loves Christ he struggles against all evil.

The relationship between Christ and the Orthodox Christians is not an emotional  condition, but it is the fruit of the extreme love for Christ.  This love for Christ guides man to renounce the love for all material things.  When man loves God, then there can be no place in his heart for anything else.  For this reason the holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church teach that, he who sins is in reality renouncement Christ’s love in exchange for the love of worldly matters.

The love of the holy Saints of our Church is proved in that they gave everything for His name sake.  St. Paul the Apostle teaches us saying, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  As it is written:   ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter’.  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” ( Rom. 8:35-39).

My beloved friends, today our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ calls upon each and everyone of us to follow Him.  Christ is the Way, the Life and the Resurrection.  Christ calls us, not by force, but out of love, to follow Him by our own free choice and will.  No one can force us to do good or evil.  It is in our own will the way of life that we should follow.

To follow Christ means that one has to carry his cross, as Christ carried His own Cross.  An Orthodox Christian is called to crucify the old man who is within him and to rise as a new creation.  Only if one crucifies his sinful desires can he achieve the resurrection of the virtues.  One must accept suffering and sacrifice for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom, which ultimately brings salvation.  To be a disciple of Christ is costly: it requires giving up all claims to everything the world holds dear.

In our daily life we all are called to renounce sin and to follow Christ.  To achieve sanctification and salvation one must be purified by the Grace of God granted through the Cross.  Our life is a gift from God, “for what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37). 

You have riches, but they are not forever.  God gave them to you in order to see how you will use them for His glory and the benefit of your fellow man.  Let us all recall the foolish rich man.  He had everything that anyone could wish for, but he lost his eternal soul, because he never thought about the needs of his fellow man.  He never considered to work for virtues, but wasted all his time in working out how to make more money, more and more.  At the end when he had so much that he did not know what to do with it, his soul was demanded by the devil to be taken away.

He did not follow Christ.  He did not renounce himself.  He did not carry his cross, but on the contrary he lived a life surrounded by material and worldly maters.  If one loses his soul, what did he achieve?  Nothing, because our purpose in life is to achieve our salvation in Christ Jesus.  If one loses his soul, then what would all the riches in the world profit him?  If one loses his soul, then what would your properties help you, for you will be placed in the ground.

Every time that one visits the cemetery, let us hear the voices of those who cry out to us saying: Here is the vanity of the earth.  Here is where all the pleasures of life end.  Here is where the worldly glory ends.  But after death occurs our souls face the real life, the real world. 

For this reason, my beloved friends, let us all hear the calling of Christ.  Let us, with a humble heart, turn to Christ our God and ask Him His divine Grace and Love.  He is always there for us, waiting for our repentance.  Let us take up our cross and follow Him, who died for our salvation.  Let us confess His name before men, so that He will also confess for us before His Father who is in Heaven (Matth. l0:32).

– By His Eminence Metropolitan PANTELEIMON of Antinoes

Fr. Anthony Savas
Protopresbyter